The Indian cricket team is likely to enter the Asia Cup without a jersey sponsor following Dream11’s exit from their agreement with the BCCI. The fantasy sports company ended its sponsorship last month, prompting the cricket board to urgently find a replacement before the tournament.
The BCCI issued a formal request for expressions of interest from prospective sponsors on September 2nd. Companies have until September 12th to acquire the EOI document, and final bids are due on September 16th. The Asia Cup begins on September 9th and concludes on September 28th, making it difficult to secure a new sponsor before the start of the tournament.
Dream11’s decision to withdraw was due to a recent Indian government bill regulating online gaming, which banned real-money gaming, a core aspect of Dream11’s business. Referencing a contract clause permitting withdrawal due to such regulatory changes, Dream11 informed the BCCI of their decision. The Dream11 contract, valued at approximately USD 44 million (INR 358 crore), was intended to last until 2026.
The BCCI has previously faced similar situations. OPPO, a smartphone company, terminated its contract early in 2019. Subsequently, the ed-tech company BYJU’S briefly took over before Dream11 became the jersey sponsor in 2023.
The BCCI’s new invitation to sponsors explicitly excludes companies affiliated with alcohol, tobacco, gambling, betting, cryptocurrency, or any activities considered offensive to public morals, including pornography.
The Indian team is scheduled to travel to the UAE on September 4th. They will compete in group stage matches against the UAE and Pakistan on September 10th and September 14th in Dubai. Their match against Oman will be on September 19th in Abu Dhabi. India is in Group A, alongside Group B teams Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Hong Kong.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Four stage. The final will feature the top two teams from the Super Four round, set for September 28th.